It was an exciting and long day as four 2012 NCAA Men's
Basketball Championship Tournament second-round games took place at the
Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C. on Friday.#8 Creighton Bluejays
vs #9 Alabama Crimson Tide...
In-Game notes:
The 8/9 seed starts 2012 NCAA Tournament action off at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C. on Friday afternoon.
The Crimson Tide come into today's game playing in its first NCAA Tournament game since 2006 and will face a Bluejays team that is effective around the perimeter and from three-point land.
Tip-off in a few minutes.
Players to watch:
Alabama: JaMychal Green
Creighton: Doug McDermott
1st half:
- Creighton wins tip but doesn't score on their possession
- Alabama hits its first shot - 2-0 w/ 18:24 to go
- Creighton possess good length inside as McDermott is the go-to guy with four points already
- Big three from Jahenns Manigat - Creighton leading 7-2 - with 15:15 to play
- Alabama climbing back in it to tie the score 7-7 with 13:46 left
- Spotty crowd, but about half full in the Greensboro Coliseum for this game so far - will fill in later for North Caroline and Duke games
- Creighton's Ethan Ragge hits two big threes and the Bluejays now lead 13-9 with 11:47 to go
- Alabama has put some points on the board and now leads by one, 14-13
- A few more shots at the FT line and the Crimson Tide extends the lead to 15-13 with 9:24 to play
- Manigat drops a three-pointer and the Bluejays take the lead
- Creighton still leading 19-18 with 7:23 to play
- The Bluejays using a zone D to defend against the Crimson Tide which slows ball movement a little
- Both teams hit some baskets and we have a 23-22 lead for the Bluejays
- Alabama still playing man-on-man which is fine for the Bluejays, but they are missing shots
- Trevor Lacey with a big three-point shot and Alabama is back in the lead with 3:05 to play
- Easy baskets underneath are not dropping for the Bluejays - might come back to haunt them later as Gregory Echenique misses an easy one
- Alabama come down and scores a few more on FT's before stealing it and an easy layup and the Tidee leads 28-23 with 1:39 to play
- With the Crimson Tide leading 30-28, Creighton's Antoine Young turns it over while trying to drive to score the last basket of the half
- Alabama ball with 3.4 seconds left and they drew a play up even - but they turn it over with 2.2 seconds left
- Creighton can't inbound it successfully so Alabama gets it back and takes a long shot but it hits the rim
Notes of interest:
Alabama: Shooting 11-23 (47.8%) - leading scorer - Trevor Lacey (12 pts)
Creighton: Shooting 9-26 (34%) - leading scorer Doug McDermott (7 pts)
2nd half:
- JaMychal Green starts off the half for the Tide with a two and extends Bama's lead to 32-23
- Creighton hits a big shot but then Alabama hits a big shot - keeps nine-point cushion - leading 36-27 with 16:44 to play
- Grant Gibbs scores three for Creighton and must work to keep shooting % on the rise if they wan to have a chance to get back and pull this one off
- Creighton tightens up the zone and has caused Alabama to miss on two straight offensive possession while the Bluejays have gone on a 4-0 run trailing the Tide 37-34 with 13:34 remaining
- With another basket, Creighton extends its current run to 8-0 and we are tied 37-37
- Trevor Releford finally hits a short jumper and ends the drought for 'Bama - now lead 39-37 wiht 12:31 to play
- After turning it over the Bluejays totally break down the defense and allow an easy layup inside which is followed up by a baby hook shot and Alabama extends the lead to 43-39 with 11:25 to go
- Releford drops another three-pointer and the Tide leads 48-41
- Gibbs and Wragge score points for the Bluejays who now trail Alabama 50-46 with 7:11 remaining
- Creighton with the ball and Alabama applying a full court press , but once hey break it, the Bluejays make it rain with a great shot from Josh Jones
- Levi Randolph tries to drive it but is denied by Wragge but gets some points back from free throws
- Another big three-pointer in this game and Creighton is leading 51-50 with 5:04 to play
- Alabama can't score in the pait as Wragge and McDermott are blocking drives
- McDermott comes back and scores a layuop with the Bluejays leading this one 54-50 with 3:41 to play
- Alabama moving the ball around between Andrew Steeel and Trevor Releford and working it in to Green but still not scoring easily
- With 1:15 remaining, Creighton leads Alabama 57-53
- Alabama with the ball and trying to work inside the zone and Green tips one in to reduce the Bluejays lead to two-points, 57-55
- Creighton with the ball, gets it inside to Echenique, who goes to the line and misses, but Creighton recovers the rebound and McDermott is fouled and goes to the line - Creighton leading 58-55 with 31.2 remaining
- McDermott misses the FT and Alabama comes down to score a basket and trails by one
- Josh Jones misses a FT and Alabama races down to take the last shot and takes a timeout with 2.2 seconds left - trailing Creighton 58-57
- Alabama with a chance to win and the clock is adjusted to 2.4 seconds remaining to start play
- Ball is inbounded, the shot is up, and no foul, too short as Trevor Releford's shot is blocked and drops well short of the basket
